LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday granted protective bail to PTI chairman Imran Khan and pre-arrest bail to his wife Bushra Bibi in cases of alleged forgery in sale/purchase of Toshakhana articles and a land transaction, respectively.

Mr Khan appeared before a two-judge bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi.

The Lahore High Court Bar Association President Ishtiaq A. Khan, representing the former prime minister, argued that the petitioner submitted his reply to a joint investigation team (JIT) through his counsel.

He said the petitioner had been implicated in over 100 cases on political grounds.

He asked the bench to grant protective bail to the former premier as he wanted to approach the court concerned in Islamabad.

The bench granted the bail to Mr Khan till July 4.

Bushra Bibi appeared before the court and sought pre-arrest bail in a case of illegal land allotment in Okara.

The Anti-Corruption Estab­lishment (ACE) registered the case against the petitioner, accusing her of getting land allotted in her name through forged documents.

A law officer opposed the bail petition saying the petitioner did not join the investigation of the case.

Petitioner’s counsel stated that his client wanted to join the investigation but there were apprehensions of arrest as political victimisation was at its peak in the country.

Justice Amjad Rafiq granted the pre-arrest bail to Bushra Bibi till July 6 and directed her to appear before the investigating officer.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2023

Opinion

Who bears the cost?

Who bears the cost?

This small window of low inflation should compel a rethink of how the authorities and employers understand the average household’s

Editorial

Internet restrictions
Updated 23 Dec, 2024

Internet restrictions

Notion that Pakistan enjoys unprecedented freedom of expression difficult to reconcile with the reality of restrictions.
Bangladesh reset
23 Dec, 2024

Bangladesh reset

THE vibes were positive during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent meeting with Bangladesh interim leader Dr...
Leaving home
23 Dec, 2024

Leaving home

FROM asylum seekers to economic migrants, the continuing exodus from Pakistan shows mass disillusionment with the...
Military convictions
Updated 22 Dec, 2024

Military convictions

Pakistan’s democracy, still finding its feet, cannot afford such compromises on core democratic values.
Need for talks
22 Dec, 2024

Need for talks

FOR a long time now, the country has been in the grip of relentless political uncertainty, featuring the...
Vulnerable vaccinators
22 Dec, 2024

Vulnerable vaccinators

THE campaign to eradicate polio from Pakistan cannot succeed unless the safety of vaccinators and security personnel...